Zelensky: I’ll do everything in my power to arrange a meeting with Putin
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his determination on Tuesday to do everything in his power to hold a direct meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, as part of efforts to stop the war.
During a press conference in Kyiv, Zelensky stressed that negotiations on a ceasefire must be conducted personally with Putin, considering him the only person capable of making the decision to end the fighting.
The Ukrainian president noted that Putin shows no real intention to end the war, enter into a truce, or even engage in serious negotiations.
Zelensky expected that the first outcome of the talks, which may be held in Istanbul, would be a ceasefire agreement, adding, “We’ve invited former US President Donald Trump to participate in the talks, but he has not yet confirmed his attendance”.
In this context, a Ukrainian presidential advisor revealed to Reuters that Zelensky had agreed to meet with Putin in Türkiye on Thursday, stressing that the meeting would be limited to the two of them and wouldn’t include other members of the Russian delegation.
Russia hasn’t yet announced its official position on attending the talks or specified the level of expected representation, given the complexities of the political and military landscape.
These developments come at a time of increasing international pressure for a political settlement, with human losses continuing and the humanitarian crisis in the region intensifying.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had previously stated that his country was fully prepared to host any negotiations between the two sides, indicating that there was a real opportunity to achieve peace between Russia and Ukraine.
